


Inzombnia: Where the Dead Never Sleep

by LadyNightingGaleofMilvania



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Horror, Panic Attacks, Suspense, Zombie AU, buckle up buttercup, more tags to come, you're in for a ride
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-06-07 18:58:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19475326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyNightingGaleofMilvania/pseuds/LadyNightingGaleofMilvania
Summary: Zombies are loose in Insomnia, an event that nobody could have ever expected in any reality, yet there they were roaming the streets. Left and right people fell prey to the undead, with only goal for the living to be one thing:survive.





	1. Dead of Night

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this for a bit, but I decided to go ahead and post the first chapter to see how people like it! I've been really nervous, but well... here it is! The first few chapters have shorter POVs, but I plan on making them longer once all the action dies down.

~*~*~Noctis~*~*~

Noctis tossed and turned fitfully in his sleep, black sheets tangling with his legs and cold sweat clinging to his bare chest. Some nightmare was plaguing him, unable to wake up. The city, his home, ablaze in the inferno of the Astrals, and screams echoing to the sky. Suddenly Gladiolus burst into the room and shook the young prince awake.

“Noct, _Noctis_ .” Gladio said firmly, eyes flicking between Noct and the doorway he had just entered from. “C’mon you need to _wake up_ , now!”

Noctis rubbed his eyes blearily and looked up at Gladio who was holding a blade and standing in front of him in a defensive position, instantly waking up the prince.

“Gladio? What’s going on?” Noct asked, looking toward his Shield.

“Not now, grab what you can and shove it in this bag. Make sure you’re packing only the essentials.”

At that moment Ignis ran into the room, causing Gladio to ready his blade and drop the backpack that he had held out for Noctis.

“Highness, you’re safe.” Ignis sighed, glasses askew on his face and… was that _blood_ smeared on his hands?

“Specs, wh--” Noctis looked between his two friends, alarmed, “What happened? Are we under attack?”

“Damn it, Noct--” Gladio started, the words growled as his eyes flickered back toward the door.

Ignis took immediate action, grabbing the bag and shoving things in, some items he dismissed into the armiger without a glance, things that either wouldn’t have fit or could be stored more easily in the space.

“There seems to have been an incident in one of the research labs, the damage is still being calculated, but it’s best that we leave the city and make our way to the bunker. Prompto is already with Cor and getting whatever else is needed and will meet us at the car. Your father and Clarus should already be on their way down.”

Ignis thrust the backpack at Noctis who took it numbly, feet growing cold against the tiles, and slung the pack onto his back. A scream emanated from the hallway as well as several inhuman growls.

“Shit, Iggy you better get your blades out ‘cause we’re fighting our way outta here!” Gladio warned, placing both hands onto his sword as someone came sprinting around the corner.

The issue was that this person was… _wrong_ . From the way she ran, the blood covering her, or even the fact that she was missing half her face. _How was she missing half her face?_ Noctis stared in mute horror as he watched Gladio slammed the blade into the woman’s arm, the result being that it was dangling by skin. That didn’t seem to deter her as her half-dropped jaw opened wider and she let out a guttural growl and lunged at the Shield, thrusting her head toward him with a sickening combination of _click-click_ form both her damaged jaw and her teeth smashing together with painful force as though her only goal was to bite.

“Get him out of here! I’ll meet you guys at the rendezvous point!” Gladiolus shouted.

Ignis grabbed Noctis’ hand and sprinted around the two locked in their fight. As soon as they reached the hallway outside the door, Noctis realized who the scream had come from. It was one of the Crownsguard recruits with three people were crouched over his still body with his eyes opened wide and staring blankly at the ceiling, mouth open in its silenced scream. Blood was pooled around his body, the thick puddle only growing larger by the second, and the people hovering over him were tearing pieces from his corpse and stuffing it into their mouths with fervor . Noctis’ stomach roiled and he threw up, the sound causing one of the people to stop and look up. Blood streamed over their lips and they dropped what was in their hand, the flesh hitting on the floor with a sickening _smack_.

“Noct,” Ignis started, looking straight at the person while his hands tightened around the daggers he summoned, “we need to start running again.”

~*~*~Prompto~*~*~

“Start phasing the weapons out.” Cor ordered as he ran into his office.

“R-right!” Prompto replied, heading toward the wall on his left.

As he touched each weapon it faded out into a blue light. Looking out of a window in the wall he could see smoke rising from what he thought had to be a dozen spots at least, and the screams… The screams were like a horrifying chorus from some sort of nightmare. Only difference from this and a nightmare was that there would be no waking up, this was reality. Something slammed into the doors, causing Prompto to jump and immediately aim his gun at the two figures that burst into the room. They immediately shut the doors back, panting.

“What the hell _are_ those things?” said the man, blood smeared across his blades and face as he panted.

“Like hell if I know,” the woman panted, looking straight at Prompto, “Who’re you?”

“Pr-Prompto, we train sometimes. You’re Crowe,” Prompto said, looking from Crowe to the man, “and you’re Nyx, right?”

“We’re _dead_ unless we find a way out because they’re swarming out there and gaining fast!” Nyx said with frustration as he wiped sweat from his brow, smearing more blood across his features.

It was at this moment that Cor reappeared from his office, a sword in his hand.

“We need to go, there’s a rendezvous point that we need to make it to in case of emergency situations.” Cor began gruffly, “It’s stocked with everything we’d need in case of any situation, all we have to do is make it out of the city to the secure bunker. We’re meeting others in the garage underground to get a vehicle.”

“Like hell!” Nyx barked.

“We just came from there, Marshal, it’s chaos. There’s no way one person, let alone the four of us are getting there.” Crowe informed.

“We have to find a way.”

“Sir people are eating each other, and the ones that go down…” Nyx began, swallowing as his face paled, “Sir… the ones that go down don’t stay down… they come back up and begin the frenzy all over again.”

~*~*~Gladiolus~*~*~

Once Noctis and Ignis fled the room all he had to do was focus on the woman. Her arm still flopped limp at her side as he shoved her into the wall. She simply didn’t react, no matter what he did to her she acted as through nothing were wrong. Her collared white blouse had become drenched in red and her skirt had been ripped and tattered, whole chunks missing. Gladio slammed the blade into her neck this time, narrowly missing her mouth gnashing toward his arm. Instead of blood gushing from her body it oozed down, like she had been emptied. Her frustrated screams and the sickeningly slow stream flowing down his arm.

The sound of running erupted from the hallway followed by at least one thump and the sound of Ignis’ voice yelling. Fear pulsed through Gladio’s veins as he realized Ignis alone might not be enough to protect Noctis in this situation, that he needed to dispatch this… this _thing_ and get back to them or Noctis’ safety could become compromised. Quickly withdrawing the weapon from the woman’s neck, Gladio went for the only other thing he could think of to kill her: the head, directly into the brain. If that didn’t stop her… well Gladio didn’t really want to think about that outcome.

As the point slammed home she went limp, collapsing under her own weight like a sack of Leiden potatoes. He took a moment to assess the damage his body had taken before taking his weapon back, holding it tightly within his grasp. There was no time to feel anything in this situation, he had to shove down the fear and worry so that he could perform his duty. Somewhere deep inside he feared for Iris, his sweet baby sister who couldn’t harm a fly,and hoped against all hope that she would make it safely. Jared had been instructed on what to do in case of emergencies like this one since before Gladio was born, so he had no doubt that the man would manage to get everyone to safety.

As Gladio took a step out into the hallway he caught sight of the bodies, along with a pair of broken and bloodied glasses. Upon closer inspection he realized they were Ignis’ and the fear he had pushed away rose again, causing even more adrenaline to course through him as he questioned the safety of his charge. If Ignis had become injured then… No, _no_ , he was going to find them! Noctis and Ignis, the two of them _had_ to be safe! The body to his right dressed in Crownsguard fatigues twitched and convulsed, a wretched gurgling coming from his throat. What the man’s body was doing he had no idea, but instinct told Gladio that he didn’t want to stay and find out.

Running down the hall, through each twist and turn, carnage was evident. Blood smeared on walls, doors flung open in haste without thought or concern to close them back, around corners were limbs that Gladio had to hope were attached to their respective bodies, and worst of all was the smell. Death permeated the air, laced with the smells of the release it brought to people. It was strong enough to make him gag, and the realization that blood wasn’t the only thing that was soaked into the floors of each hall threatened to empty the contents of his stomach to add to the disgusting mixture of filth.

Opting to take the stairs, Gladio opened the door as quietly as he could. There were no signs of life, the only echoes being the ones that filtered through the shut doors of each floor, making it harder to discern what lie in wait above or below him besides the terror of the public. As he descended each floor his heart pounded in his throat, repeating the path in his mind like a mantra. _Out the doors, behind the building, across the courtyard,745419. Out the doors, behind the building, across the courtyard, 745419. Out the doors, behind--_

A door slammed open and screams reverberated on the walls, along with the snarls of whoever was chasing until suddenly there was a rush of air and a sickening _bang CRACK_ as he saw somebody fly down the opening next to him, their head hitting the railing that circled downward to the ground floor. A moment later another body clattered downward, hitting everything on the way down and landing on top of the first with a crunch as blood collected around them. Gladio continued downward until he reached the bottom floor, stepping around the broken and tangled pair of bodies that had fallen. His stomach churned at the events that had unfolded so far, but Gladio pushed them from his mind. He could deal with what he felt later, for now he had to meet up with Noct and Ignis.

~*~*~Prompto~*~*~

  


Once Prompto, Cor, Nyx, and Crowe left the training room they beelined for the back of the main Citadel building. People were running across the lawn, some with unnatural speed which caused others to look like they were simply out for a brisk jog. Smoke heavily laced the air as Prompto realized that the building they were heading toward spewed towering flames with black smoke.

“Damn.” Nyx swore, looking toward Cor. “We’re not gonna be able to make it to the garage, sir!”

Cor said a long string of unintelligible words, eyes darting around the lawn quickly before motioning to the gates.

“We’ll have to go on foot,” he started. “Crowe, Prompto hold the rear, Nyx you’re in front with me. I don’t know what the condition is out there, but it won’t be pretty.”

Prompto nodded, heart threatening to leap out of his throat as the four made their way through the gates and into a vicious hellscape of smoke and blood and death. Cars had careened into each other, creating pileups that reeked of burning oil and fuel. There was one other smell that he couldn’t identify, although he was highly suspicious he knew what it could be.

“We are in a situation where our only goal is to make it to the rendezvous point alive. We can not stop for civilians, as cruel as it may sound. Right now our specific orders are to protect the crown, there are others who are already deployed to help the civilian population.” Cor warned as they passed at least 4 cars smashed together, forcing Prompto out of his head.

“But sir--” Nyx began, surprise in his voice.

“Those are your orders.” Cor cut off quick and stern as he thrust his blade into a woman who lunged at him, covered in blood and arms outstretched and grasping at empty air.

Nyx slammed a knife into her skull and she slid to the ground and off of Cor’s weapon, the man briefly pausing to nod before running toward the gates of Insomnia that lay far off in the distance. How long would it take to get there on foot? Would they be able to even find a car? Would they even be able to _drive_ it with the roads filled with people and crushed vehicles?

All around them people were screaming, whether it was from fear of half-eaten people rising up and scrambling after them, over deceased loved ones, or out of fear of the people who used the chaos to loot from the nearby stores. It was all so overwhelming, the noise, the smell, the sight, the chaos… Too much to deal with now and Prompto tried to swallow, discovering that his throat had become dry and scratchy.

“Over here!” Nyx called, waving the other three over to a car that had all of its doors open as he pulled out a motionless body from the front seat. He continued when Cor made his way over, “He’s dead sir, but the keys are still in the car.”

Cor let out a noise of disapproval before responding.

“You’re in the passenger seat Ulric. Altius, Argentum, get in the back.”

~*~*~Ignis~*~*~

Ignis wiped the blood away from his eyes. His glasses had been knocked off when he had been knocked to the floor while fleeing from the building with Noctis, who had come to his rescue just in time with a quick blow to the head of the attacker with one of Ignis’ knives. The blow had caused blood to rain down onto his face and he quickly pushed the body off himself, withdrawing the knife from the corpse’s skull and turning around to find a shaking Noctis before him. There had not been time to snatch the lenses back after calming his friend down, and even if there had been they were useless broken.

As they made their way down to the lobby people scrambled to exit the building ahead of them, heedless of anyone in their path and trampling over anyone who had the misfortune of falling onto the floor beneath their feet. Ignis guided Noctis to the closest wall and pushed themselves up against it to move quickly out of the way of the stampeding herd of fearful citizens. Inching along, the two eventually reached the door and ran for the building behind the main Citadel, punching in the passcode and shutting the door quickly behind them before anyone was the wiser. A series of steps led them to a parking garage and Ignis fetched a set of keys from his pocket as he hit the unlock button on the keyfob and the headlights on one of the vehicles flashed, marking the doors open.

Ignis slid into the driver’s seat and quickly buckled, Noctis not far behind. As the Prince shut the car door behind him they heard a blast from what could have only been magic and Ignis looked over to the steps in time to see flames creeping down toward them. He slammed the car into reverse, backing up neatly before flinging the car into drive and propelling them forward. Ignis caught the sight of a person in Crownsguard fatigues falling down the stairs swarmed by people fading in the rearview just before looking again to the front of the car.

“Hold on highness, it’s going to be a rough ride.” Ignis informed as he slammed on the gas pedal to rush through the arm of the gate, breaking the flimsy material as they powered through and onto the chaotic roads.

~*~*~Noctis~*~*~

How could things have gone so wrong so quickly? Looking at the clock Noctis realized that he had been asleep a mere forty five minutes before, warm and snug in his bed until Gladio had burst through into his bedroom telling him to pack. He had awoken from a concerning dream to find that Insomnia had become a nightmare, and he was heedless to be able to stop it. Looking over to Ignis, Noctis noticed for the first time that the man’s glasses had been left behind and Noctis cursed under his breath for how much he had spaced out during all that had happened so far. If he was going to be of any use he had to get out of his head and into what was going on around them.

The car sped along the highways, Ignis safely guiding them around cars and pile ups and pedestrians that were strewn every which way. As Ignis drove, roads quickly became more populated with people who were crazed and running in and out of the street without sense until--

**_BAM!_ **

Noctis’ head whipped forward, the seatbelt keeping his body in place. Someone had run out in front of the car and Ignis sat there in shock as the person’s hand reached up from under the vehicle and started smacking the hood of the car, slowly pulling their body up.

“He--he shouldn’t be alive… Right Ignis?” questioned Noctis fearfully.

Silence.

“Specs?”

Suddenly Ignis reversed the car and sped past the man they had just ran over.

“Hey, wait! We need to--”

“Noctis I need you to listen to me very carefully.” Ignis said with eyes locked on the road, his chest doing the rise and fall of rapid breathing. “The thing that happened in that lab--the incident--it released something that we thought had managed to be contained… Think of this like one of your video games. I didn’t think the reports were completely correct, but it looks like I was wrong.”

“Like a video game? Specs what do you--”

“Zombies.”

That one word stopped Noctis cold, stripping away all the words that had begun to bubble within him. Zombies? There were _zombies_ running through the streets of Insomnia? No way, it had to be wrong. Zombies were something fictional, a thing that haunted nightmares sometimes, but never a reality.

“That’s not funny.” Noctis finally said, his voice shaking.

“Does any of this look funny? Do I look like I’m joking, Noct?”

No, he didn’t, and that’s what scared Noctis all the more. If zombies were real then how were they supposed to fight back? How were they supposed to survive? The sheer magnitude of the situation came down on him like a ton of bricks and Noctis felt every nerve stand on end as he recounted the events that had transpired so far. The woman, the man who was half eaten and still chased after them, the person who had been ran over…

Zombies were loose in Insomnia… and the word Nightmare didn’t come close to describing the situation anymore.


	2. Red Dawn

~*~*~Cor~*~*~

It took several hours through the chaos, but eventually the four of them made it to the outer gates. The sun was rising red between the clouds of smoke, and the irony of it was not lost on Cor. Nyx was fiddling with a radio in the passenger seat and Crowe was calming down Prompto who had started a panic attack not ten minutes before, and all Cor could think at the moment was that at least he had done it in the car than on the field. Some might have called the thought cold, but after what he had learned--and the sheer scope of it--he couldn’t help but keep survival on his mind. Chaos had already begun to set into the city and they still needed to get to the gates. Cor had no doubt that they would eventually have to continue on foot, seeing how many crashed vehicles lay in piles scattered both on and off the roads. He had to take care not to run anyone over, but it was difficult when people would literally  _ leap _ in front of the car, begging to be let in.

“Please, at least take my child!” one woman cried, holding what looked to be a toddler.

“Report to your designated area, they can help you there. We’re on duty elsewhere, I’m sorry.” Cor replied, rolling down the window just enough so that his voice could carry outside to the woman.

The woman attempted to run around the car and started to plead again, but Cor slammed his foot onto the gas, his heart wrenching at the action that would more than likely condemn the two. If they were to stop for every child, every civilian, that needed help they would be soon overrun with the car dangerously packed or overflowing. The bitter truth tasted of bile and Cor swallowed, trying his best to not see the woman in the rearview mirror, crumpled on the ground while sobbing and clutching her child.

Soon they reached a huge mashup to cars and crushed bodies, forcing them out of their own vehicle and back onto the streets. Prompto had since calmed down, still pale but otherwise functioning.

“Alright Glaive, we need to get over this and out of the gates. We shouldn’t be far now, so stick together and watch each other’s backs. Do you hear me?” Cor told the other three, looking each in the eye as he awaited their response.

“Yes, sir.” answered Prompto.

“Marshal,” Crowe and Nyx replied in unison.

“Let’s move out.”

~*~*~Gladio~*~*~

As Gladio raced outside the acrid smell of smoke assaulted his nostrils and a split second later he saw why. The parking garage that he had been heading to was burning, and there was no way he could get through to any of the vehicles within. For a moment Gladio could feel the panic worm its way into him. What was he going to do now that there was no way to a car? He had no idea how to hotwire anything, he had seemed to miss that part of Glaive training--not like that was an actual course to begin with--and walking to the gates would take too long. Racking his brain for any ideas he found himself wishing that he had stayed with Ignis and Noct, one of them would have been able to think of some way out of the predicament he found himself in.

In the end Gladio settled for the inevitable long walk ahead of him, opting to find another viable route if it presented itself. He began making his way, cutting down any zombies--because at this point there was no denying what they were, no matter how crazy the thought was--that crossed his path. There came a point when Gladio realized that he had become almost numb hacking away at each enemy, knowing that there would probably be a price later at pushing every emotion aside to deal with the situation at hand, and he didn’t look forward to that later time. Women cried over bodies of loved ones, children wept at the loss of their families or out of fear of being lost, cars lay in clusters of varying wrecks, but the worst were the people clustered over the dead bodies moving frantically. Gladio ceased trying to stop their feasting, realizing that if he were to do that every time he would soon become overwhelmed and fall prey to them himself. The last thing anybody needed was for Gladiolus to turn.

Making the best time he could in the circumstances, keeping a steady pace up through the night until fatigue finally caught up with him at sunrise. It was as red as the streets and Gladio knew that he would have to find the safest place he could to hole up in to rest. The only problem was trying to figure out where was safe.

~*~*~Noctis~*~*~

The world outside had seemingly turned into fire and ash as Ignis expertly weaved around obstacles in the road. Noctis could still smell the scent of burning flesh as they sped through the city, buildings and cars ablaze with black smoke rising toward a black sky devoid of stars or moonlight.

“Ignis… what happens now?” he asked, unable to turn his face from the sight.

“We survive,” Ignis responded, never taking his eyes from the road. “We’ll be in the bunker for a time, riding out the most chaotic of… all of this…”

“I know that, but I mean  _ afterward _ .”

“No matter what the answer will be to survive. I wish I could give something more concrete Noct, I really do, but no one ever expected all of this, and not to this degree. Everyone is in uncharted territory. The question I have for you is about how you’re holding up? That crash no doubt gave you whiplash, but you’ve also laid witness to everything and I need to know that you aren’t going to have another moment like in the hallway. You can’t shut down in the middle of a battlefield or somebody could possibly die Noct.”

“I won’t freeze up, Specs. I know how important it is for me to focus, it won’t happen again.”

“Good, now get some rest. I’ll likely be driving until dawn bar any unfortunate circumstances, and one of us should be rested.”

Noctis knew he should probably attempt to sleep, but the image of the man’s body slamming into the car and the hand trying to drag himself back up stayed firmly in his mind kept him from even shutting his eyes. It haunted him, and he could see the Ignis was visibly trying not to shake as his hands gripped the wheel tight enough to turn his knuckles white. It felt like a lifetime ago that he was in bed, but things had begun to quiet down in an eerie, almost unsettling way. Noctis noted that the screams had begun to die down, but the rasping and guttural growls had started to grow in sound accompanied only by the crackle of unattended fires with their black columns of rising smoke.

The next thing Noctis knew he was opening his eyes to the sun shining down on his face. Ignis looked haggard as he muttered to himself, words like  _ gas _ and  _ sleep _ caught Noct’s attention quickly.

“Ignis, how long have I been out?”

“No more than an hour, although we’ve run into a problem.”

That one word gave him pause. “What sort of problem?”

“The car is nearly out of gas. I was going to refuel on my way to work in the morning, but the situation seems that it may not be safe to pump, however it is no safer than walking the streets of Insomnia in search of another way out.” Ignis sighed, his brows furrowing in frustration.

“I guess we’re gonna have to fill up the tank, then. I’ll watch while you pump.” Noctis replied, leaving no room for argument.

Ignis opened his mouth as through to make a counter, but no words came out as his mouth set itself in a thin line. A simple nod was all that he gave in answer, pulling over a few minutes later to a gas station. The two quickly jumped out of the car and Ignis deftly opened the little door revealing the gas cap, twisting it off and sliding the nozzle in as Noctis turned to keep a look out. The sound of gas guzzling into the tank was loud in their ears as several Glaive came out of the main station building, stopping dead in their tracks when they saw the two.

At first Noctis looked relieved, the uniforms a familiar and trustworthy sight. Less trustworthy was the fresh blood that seemed to mix with old and the look of fear on their faces, as though they only recognized each other rather than the individuals in front of them. Readying their weapons, they adjusted any packs they wore before slowly circling around them. Ignis carefully removed the nozzle from the car and put the cap back in place.

“We don’t want trouble,” Ignis said calmly, raising his hands in a peaceful gesture, motioning for Noctis to do the same.

“Hand over the shit,” barked a woman.

“Yeah, yeah and them  _ keys _ too, buddy. We didn’ sign up fer nunna this shit,” a man agreed, all of them nodding as they inched closer.

Deserters. That’s who they were being confronted with. These people were a disgrace to the uniform and what they represented, disgust filling Noctis at the sight. He wanted nothing more than to leave, hop in the car and drive away, but Ignis had other plans as he took the keys out of his pocket and held them between his thumb and forefinger.

“They’re yours, let my friend just get something out of the car and you can have it. The doors are unlocked and everything..” Ignis said, nodding to Noctis with his head.

The three looked at each other before the woman spoke again.

“Fine. Hurry up shortshit, we ain’t got all day.”

Noct slowly walked to the car, wondering what Ignis was up to as he walked behind Ignis and sat in the driver’s seat, leaning over to grab his bag when Ignis suddenly hit the lock button and threw the keys in the car with him.

“Drive! Leave me and don’t look back!” Ignis yelled as he slammed the door shut, the keys landing squarely in Noct’s lap.

He was shocked, but luckily he wasn’t the only one, the traitor Glaives needing a moment to process what had happened before slamming the handles of blades and butts of guns into the windows, or attacking Ignis outright.

“DRIVE DAMN IT!” Ignis hollered again.

Instinctively Noctis put the key in the ignition and turned, the car roaring to life, and he put his foot on the gas. It took the building vanishing from sight for him to realize that Ignis was completely alone back there, and even though it was his duty to sacrifice himself in the line of battle if need be, Noctis never thought he’d see the day that it might be a reality. The worst part was the horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that he had just abandoned Ignis to that fate.

~*~*~Gladio~*~*~

Gladio had managed to find a bathroom to hole up in, not that it had been his first choice. He had broken into a house--inasmuch as you could call it breaking in with the situation at hand--that already had the door wide open, the building abandoned in haste as the chaos had erupted in the night, and he had decided in the end that the bathroom was the safest option once he had confirmed that the place was empty. In this case the pros outweighed the cons in that he could easily lock the door, and once he had shoved a chair under the handle it stayed in place. Before locking himself in the room he had dragged a blanket in with him, forgoing any pillows before wrapping up and falling into a fitful slumber.

When he had awoke there was quiet. No screaming hit his ears, yet the silence was more deafening than any noise from the horrifying chorus of fear that had assaulted him the night before. Gladio quietly took off the blanket and dislodged the chair from where he had wedged it and slowly, cautiously, opened the door. He checked around every corner, but the house was empty. In the streets there was a fire that was nearly burnt out, the building having collapsed at some point in the night that had been masked by the roaring of its flames. Gladio walked the silent streets, the lack of noise putting his nerves on edge and causing him to react to every sound. Where was everybody? All he saw outside was blood painting every surface and abandoned cars in varying states of damage. Surely there were other survivors in the area? And where were the Glaives that were supposed to be stationed? Had everyone managed to evacuate as he slept?

Movement caught his eye and Gladio turned, expecting a person, but a dog squeezed its way out of a building with a severed leg in its mouth. He didn’t know why the sight surprised him so much, all the pets that were kept in Insomnia would still need to eat, Gladio just hoped that it would make the species jump. The last thing anyone would need were cats, dogs, birds, and any other animal on Eos contracting what spread through the people like wildfire. Ignoring the animal, Gladio soldiered onwards hoping to run into somebody, anybody, who might have survived the night.

  
  


~*~*~Nyx~*~*~

It had been hours since they had managed to get over the massive pile up and light was finally cresting over the entire city, highlighting the horrors that had engulfed the city during the seemingly endless night. The pillars of pitch black smoke that rose to the heavens continued to rise while the screams seemed to have quieted. Ahead were a crowd of people just standing still, some clambered clumsily which caused others to knock together, and they simply growled or snapped their jaws at each other… or at least the ones that had jaws.

With the daylight finally having arrived it brought forth things that Nyx hadn’t had a chance to notice at night, the darkness having spared him every grisly detail. Now he saw dangling bits of flesh, bones protruding from limbs, arms or legs pointed at unnatural angles, and many more things that Nyx could never unsee.

“That path is our most direct route out of the city, once we get through we’ll be nearly at our goal. Nyx, I want you with me directly in the middle of that group. Prompto and Crowe, you two watch our six and try to keep any more from surrounding us.”

“Sir,” the three others responded in unison before getting out weapons.

Nyx gripped his blades and tried his best to get loose before looking at Cor in the eye, nodding at the Marshal when their gazes met. In that moment the two looked to the dead and charged, weapons quickly at the ready. Nyx was first to draw blood, one blade slicing across one zombie’s cheek with the other slamming into the jugular of another. When he pulled the daggers back they were slick with thick, congealed blood. The smell of burning flesh assaulted his nostrils, and from the corner of both eyes Nyx could see Crowe already readying another spell, along with one body become engulfed in embers. Cor was like a whirling dervish, putting down opponents left and right. For every person Nyx managed to put down, Cor had already done three times that. Picking up his pace Nyx slammed his blades into flesh faster than he had ever done in his life. As he kicked someone’s leg out at the knee there was a grunt, Nyx looked over just in time to see Cor on the ground struggling with a zombie. He tried to yell out to Prompto or Crowe but saw that the two were locked in a combat zone all their own, Crowe even becoming desperate enough to be forced to use both blade and spell to defend herself while Prompto frantically tried to keep pace with his guns.

While Nyx was commonly called Hero, he never expected to have to come to the rescue of Cor “The Immortal” himself. He made quick work of the enemy in front of him, praying to the Astrals as he sprinted to Cor. The man had been pinned by a dead man in a torn Glaive uniform, causing Nyx to feel like ice had replaced his blood, he didn’t have time to focus on it through as the fallen Glaive’s mangled mouth inched closer to the Marshal’s face. Nyx grabbed the blood soaked collar of he Glaive and pulled with all his might, the dead man spun around and Nyx felt his heart stop painfully.

“Libertus?” he asked in disbelief, as though the man, one of his dearest friends, would answer him.

The undead Glaive lunged then, catching him off guard even more than his current state could, and the knives flew out of Nyx’s hands. Nyx’s head smacked the pavement with a resounding  _ crack! _ and stars danced in his vision as Libertus’ head was split in two by Cor’s sword, the thick blood oozing onto Nyx’ uniform as the body slumped lifelessly onto his own, knocking the air from his lungs.


	3. The Secret Channel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so I've got a lot going on right now, so I've put writing on the back burner a bit. I'm still writing, but I'm doing it slower due to projects I'm on, as well as having to do a few things in real life. Hopefully I'll start writing like a fiend again in no time at all! In the meantime, I'll still be writing, albeit at a slower rate than before. Enough of me going on, enjoy this latest chapter!

~*~*~Prompto~*~*~

Everything had been going smoothly until Prompto fired his gun, it was like the noise attracted the dead like a magnet and Prompto quickly became overwhelmed. The more he fired his weapon, the more zombies appeared until he decided to risk it and phase it out, opting for a dagger that he rarely used. He had never been good with magic or hand-to-hand combat, but right now there didn’t seem to be much else left for options. Crowe nearby had stopped firing at the zombies in the distance and focussed on the growing swarm surrounding the two of them. Prompto managed to at least keep the dead at bay with his blade, bringing down a handful, but most of them were killed by Crowe herself before he could even see them. He had heard that Crowe was a marksman when it came to magic, both at close and long-ranged combat, but he had never seen her in action. She was death incarnate with her fiery palms and eyes flashing with every spell she wrought into existence, burning their opponents to either charred husks or ash before their eyes. When the last enemy had been brought down they found that Cor was kneeling next to Nyx, who lay motionless on the ground. Crowe sprinted over to check on him and immediately covered her mouth with both hands.

“You guys ok?” Prompto asked when he made his way over.

“Where was his squad?” Crowe whispered, ignoring Prompto.

“Ohhh, my head,” moaned Nyx, obviously dazed as he tried to sit up.

“Hey, look at me,” Cor said to Nyx, taking out his phone and turning the flash on, “What’s your name?”

“My---what?” Nyx replied as Cor shone the light in each eye carefully.

“How about your birthday?”

“I don’t--god my head…” Nyx continued, ignoring Cor and trying to wave the man away.

Prompto couldn’t believe how south this mission had gone, they were lucky that no one was dead, but he recognized the line of questions. They were asked to check for concussions, they were all trained to diagnose one in the field if necessary, and by the sound of it, Nyx likely had one. It would slow them down, and none of them could afford one less fighter. Prompto didn’t know how much farther they had left to go, but at least they were nearly at the gates. Wherever they had to go, they could likely rest at the checkpoint at the end of the bridge. Hopefully, there would be some food and water, although how much he could manage to stomach at all was a different matter altogether. Prompto saw Crowe take out a small handkerchief with an intricate Galad design and placed it over the face of the person in the Glaive uniform. He hadn’t really gotten a chance to socialize with any of the Glaives, but he at least vaguely recognized the man before Crowe covered his head. He couldn’t recall any names, but Prompto knew that he had commonly been seen with Crowe and Nyx, that they had all come together from Galad and become fast friends, the better word may be closer to  _ family _ . Once the fellow Glaive’s face was out of sight, Crowe helped Nyx up. He leaned heavily on her, holding his head as she helped him walk forward.

“We’re nearly at the gates, from there we’ll stop at the guardhouse station and get some rest,” Cor said, looking ahead at the gates looming nearby.

He seemed to be looking beyond them to the bridge, gazing into the distance before snapping back to the present. He motioned for them to continue onward and Prompto gulped, hoping that the worst was over.

~*~*~Ignis~*~*~

The sound of tires squealing against the pavement made relief was over Ignis. He knew Noctis would regret it, but Ignis would never hold the decision against him. He had said to drive, to run away and get to safety. Noct knew where the bunker was, and Ignis could find his own way there. For now, he just had to get away from these three who disgraced the Glaive name. Ignis phased his daggers in, gripping them in his hands as the three came at him at once. Ice shot just past his face and Ignis felt a fist slam into his gut before he could react. Three against one were terrible odds when your opponents had nearly the same training you had and possibly more time to put it to use.

Immediately he sized up the person in front of him, it was the woman and her weapon appeared to be her fists for now. Nearby was one man, he was the one wielding magic and his hands were readying another attack, this one lightning. Approaching from behind, Ignis could hear the last man, unable to tell the weapon of choice unless he were to turn around. He grit his teeth through the pain and forced his body to move, grabbing the woman’s fist and twisting himself under it, slamming her arm behind her as he turned the limb with himself quickly. He heard a loud  **_pop_ ** as her shoulder no doubt came out of its socket, as well as her yell of pain. Ignis immediately shoved her forward into the other man who had been swinging down a sword, the metal slicing clean into the flesh of her neck with a sickening thwack. She dropped to the ground, taking the stuck sword with her as Ignis turned to confront the magic-user, dropping low to the ground at the last second for a bolt of light to flash by above his head at impossible speeds. He sprinted at the man, determined to reach him before the sparks of flame began to emanate from his opponent's hand. Ignis threw the dagger with pinpoint accuracy, the blade twirling in the air and straight into the other man’s hand before Ignis followed it a moment later, slamming the weapon still in his hand straight into the enemy’s neck, turning the body to become a shield against the last man who cut at where Ignis had been only a moment before, the sword cutting his other ally’s arm at the shoulder.

“I’ll fucking kill you!” screamed the last living traitor Glaive as Ignis let go of the body and backed away.

The last man bared his teeth, the white bright against the blood that had sprayed across his face. Ignis’ shirt had become wet with it, the fabric clinging to his skin heavily. His throat and lungs burned from the smoke in the air, meanwhile, he was starting to have a hard time catching his breath. If the fight wasn’t ended soon he might very well be the loser. Ignis quickly phased out his dagger and replaced it with a polearm as the other man charged at him in between weapon phases. Ignis vaulted over him once his weapon became solid and he rolled to continue the momentum, turning at the end to look at his opponent’s back before he could recover. Ignis ran at the other man, swinging the polearm down and meeting the cold metal of the other weapon deflecting it, forcing Ignis to dodge with a complex maneuver due to the position he had found himself in. In response, he swung his leg out in hopes of catching the back of the traitor Glaive’s knee and the other man hissed when it made contact. With no time to think, Ignis moved his weapon in a wide arc and the edge bit into the other man’s side before Ignis quickly retracted it and thrust it one-handed back into the flesh of the man’s chest, blood gushing from the wound. The man futilely tried to grasp at the polearm sticking out from his back, attempting to remove it as he fell forward, dead at he hit the earth.

Ignis collapsed to his hands and knees, coughing as he tried to gasp for air. He hadn’t realized how much smoke he’d been inhaling and, if he could try and guess, he was pretty sure he was only noticing now because he was probably coming down from the loads of adrenaline that had kept him going while Noctis had been with him. He was crashing, and for that, he was paying the price. As darkness crept into the edges of his vision all Ignis could think was that his only regret was not knowing if Noct had made it to the bunker or not…

~*~*~Cor~*~*~

When the group finally made it out of the main gates they all nearly let out a sigh of relief. The city was behind them, and just on the other side of the bridge were the Channels. Nyx had shown minimal improvement, walking on his own and able to answer questions at least, Cor hoped that finally getting to sit down and rest would allow the group to gather their strength back. The guardhouse gates were abandoned, all the more reason to rest while they could.

Once he guided Nyx to a chair and ordered the rest to sit, Cor looked in the lockers and employee fridge. There wasn’t much, but there were small snacks and a basket of oranges on a table, along with a pack of waters that Cor decided to dismiss into the armiger. He didn’t often use it, finding the armiger’s magic to be awkward for him to use, but he had no problem as of now to try and store as much as he could in it. Anything that could be of use he stored in the magic space. Clothes that had been stored in the lockers, soap, a few weapons that were stashed away in a locked chest that Cor easily managed to break into, and some over the counter medicines that were in the bathroom. When he was done, the man brought out the food and a couple of the headache meds that he had seen, which immediately were given to Nyx.

“Everyone eat and try to get some rest. Ulric, you’re staying awake with me for a bit until I know you’ve recovered.”

At first, there was resistance, Crowe and Prompto insisting on a rotation so Cor could get some small amount of sleep as well, but he shut it down quickly. He planned on sleeping only once they arrived inside Crestholm, and not a moment before. So close, they were so close to their goal! He hoped that everyone had managed to make it, but realistically he wouldn’t hold his breath. So long as they could get the King and Prince to safety the mission was complete.

Cor sat down on a chair as Prompto and Crowe made a sort of pallet on the ground. They were nearly to their destination, but the hardest part was getting to the secret portion of Crestholm safely. In theory, Clarus and Regis should have already arrived ahead of them, so the door should be open by the time the four of them reached the destination.

“I can’t believe Libertus is gone…” Nyx said to himself quietly, head in his hands.

“A lot of good men fall in the wake of tragedy. He did his duty until the end,” Cor responded. “I may not have spoken to him much, but I knew he was a good person.”

“Thank you, sir,” Nyx managed to choke out, looking up.

Cor nodded solemnly. He made an effort to try to know each member of the Glaives by name, even if he could only remember them by seeing a face. Any time he heard of a fallen Glaive felt like a failure, and in this case, he worried about how many would even make it out alive. He didn’t get long to wonder before Nyx stood up, squinting at something behind Cor.

“Is that a car?”

~*~*~Noctis~*~*~

He was a coward. How could he have just left Ignis? The man was one of his oldest friends and Noctis had just abandoned him. To be fair Ignis would have been able to get past some of the wrecks without destroying the car, but Noctis managed to barrel through the few that blocked the way. Thankfully the way without meeting too many accidents since the path Ignis had driven down led to the less populated sections of the city. The front end of the car was pretty messed up, but Noctis had managed to get out of the city at least, speeding over the bridge that separated the city of Insomnia from the rest of Eos. Two people stepped out of the building next to the Channel’s entrance, making him wary until he saw familiar faces. Immediately Noctis parked the car, jumping out without even shutting off the car.

“Noctis?” Cor asked incredulously.

“Cor! Cor we have to go back, you have to help him!” Noctis yelled frantically, grasping at the Marshal’s shirt desperately.

“Calm down, where are Ignis and Gladio?”

“He needs help! Please, he… he told me to leave him,” Noctis cried. “I left him, we need to go back!”

“He?” Cor asked.

“Specs!”

“Highness, we can’t. He knew what he was doing, what he was risking, by telling you to move on. We have to assume he’s gone,” Nyx said, Noctis hadn’t noticed him just behind Cor.

The world around him came to a standstill, going silent.  _ We have to assume he’s gone _ . There was no way that Ignis was gone. He refused to believe it. Noctis had to believe that Ignis could prevail on three to one odds, and honestly, if the man could manage to get veggies to taste good sometimes then he could overcome adversity and live.

“Noctis, I need to know where Gladiolus is. Is he with Ignis too?” the Marshal asked seriously, looking past him and into the empty car.

Gladio. He forgot about Gladio after everything that happened so far and everything crashed as he panicked, realizing that he had no idea where Gladio was  _ at all _ . He couldn’t say if his Shield was alive or dead after being split up at the start. His friends, one by one, were being picked off by cruel fate, and there was nothing he could do about it. Noctis let go of Cor’s shirt, sinking to the ground as he covered his now tearstained face.

He felt hands on his arms, helping him back up as someone barked orders. At this point Noctis had gone numb, his mind shutting down in some desperate of trying to function again. A freckled face replaced the hands, the image familiar and causing Noctis to cry again when he realized it was Prompto. At least one friend had made it out.

~*~*~Iris~*~*~

Iris tried to calm Talcott down, he’d been crying ever since Jared had told them that they needed to flee the city, that it wasn’t safe. He gave them just enough time to pack a small backpack but not enough to get dressed, the two kids running in pajamas, while Jared had waved them through the door. That was forever ago, the sun already having made it over some of the taller buildings that sat against the sky. They had taken refuge in an employee area that they used to go to for sandwiches when Iris made straight A’s in school for an entire semester.

“Grandpa, I gotta use the bathroom,” Talcott said quietly, bouncing slightly.

Jared looked around, it had been quiet for a while and Iris noticed that they hadn’t seen any more of the…  _ dead _ people… Iris knew that they needed to stay together as a group, but following them into the bathroom? No thanks, she had no doubt that they would be fine long enough for a bathroom break, anyway.

“I’ll be ok, Jared,” Iris told him.

“Are you sure, Miss Iris? I couldn’t bear if something were to happen to you on my watch.” Jared replied, looking between Iris and his grandson.

“Yeah, Talcott looks like he won’t be able to hold it for much longer, anyway.”

Iris could see how torn Jared was. On one hand, he couldn’t let his young grandson go alone, he was small and scared and likely would freeze up if confronted with trouble, and on the other, there was Iris who was also his responsibility, he had helped to raise her and saw Iris as another grandchild. In the end, he went with Talcott, leaving her alone in the employee room. She used that time to look around the room, at the chairs and tables. On the walls were a few posters of people smiling with slogans underneath, or quotes about  _ Safety is key! _ the irony being that nowhere seemed to be safe.

_ I hope Gladdy and dad are safe, _ Iris thought to herself as Talcott and Jared came back from their bathroom trip, sandwiches in hand.

“I made us some food, I imagine you two are hungry,” Jared said with a soft smile as his grandson grinned and took a huge bite.

“Mine’s ham cheesh!” he said through his mouthful.

Iris laughed and grabbed the sandwich offered to her. She was definitely hungry, and her stomach had been growling for a while. The three sat down and ate their food quietly, Talcott rocking side to side in his cactuar pajamas as he ate and Jared pulled Iris aside.

“Miss Iris, I don’t want to alarm you, but I need to tell you something,” he started.

“What’s wrong?” Iris asked, her heart racing in her chest at the words; what could he possibly need to talk about?

“I know I’m old, and these bones don’t let me move like I used to. If anything were to happen to me I need to know that you two would make it to the Crestholm Channels. You’re a smart girl, and I have a map of both Eos and the Channels for you should the worst come to pass.”

“I don’t like this, you’re talking as though you might actually have to be left behind.”

“As much as I don’t like the thought either, I need to know that you can do this.”

“I don’t--”

“Miss Iris, please.”

Begging. Jared was begging her to continue onward if he should… if he should  _ die _ . The thought terrified her. Neither she nor Talcott were trained to fight, and Jared’s “old bones” as he called them wouldn’t let him react fast enough to most threats, and they were forced to simply run from every encounter they were faced with. They were only halfway through the city, but if they left straight from here they might be able to get to the bridge outside the gates by nightfall. There should be no reason for him to need to know that they would make it out because he would be with them every step of the way. There was no way any of them would end up separated… right?

Right?


	4. To the Water's Edge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis finally makes it to safety, but not everyone is so lucky.

~*~*~Talcott~*~*~

Jared took his grandson by the hand, leading the Talcott and Iris past downtown and into the suburban area of the large city, passing houses and smaller apartment buildings. The gates were looming over the three of them, so close... 

A man stepped out of a house, gun in hand and a sack over his back. Instinctively Jared pushed the two children behind him, trying to shield their bodies with his own when the man took notice of them. The stranger began walking toward them and Jared let go of Talcott’s hand, pushing the two children away from his back.

“Go,” he said quietly, not looking at the two.

“But grandpa--”

“Jared, I can’t--”

“Go, hide in one of the houses,” Jared said quickly. “I’ll try to find you after. I don’t think he wants to just have a friendly talk.”

Iris nodded and took Talcott’s hand, pulling him with her as he looked behind them. Why wasn’t his grandpa coming with them? What did that man want so bad that his grandpa told them to go? He just couldn’t understand.

There was a  **_bang_ ** and he jumped, covering one ear with his spared hand as he and Iris rushed into an empty house. She led him upstairs into a bedroom covered in pink chocobos everywhere. It must have been a girl’s room, but where were the people who lived here? Another several shots went off and Talcott started to get scared. Was his grandpa ok?

“Iris, what’s going on? I want Grandpa.”

“He’ll be here before you know it!” Iris said in a semi-shaky voice.

Iris was trying to be brave, which terrified him all the more. Why didn’t she tell him when his grandpa would be back? What were those bangs? Why was Iris pulling him into the closet?

“We’re gonna play a game, ok? We’re gonna be quiet and see if your grandpa can find us!”

“But what about that guy? Is he playing too?”

“Maybe he’s asking if he can play?”

**_BANG BANG BANG!_ **

There was yelling outside and Talcott noticed that Iris had begun to shake, and he became very scared. He knew that they weren’t playing a game, that something was going on that made them need to hide, but she wasn’t telling him why. Shouts reached their ears and Iris looked at the doors. He didn’t realize she had shut them, but at the voice, she scooted slightly closer to the closet’s entrance.

“Gladdy?”

Talcott couldn’t make out any voices, just yelling and shouting. He recognized some of the words as swears, but most wasn’t anything that he could make out. It wasn’t long, but the sounds stopped with the final being one loud yell. It was silent after than. Their breathing was the only thing he could hear for a long time before the stomping of feet crashed through the house. Iris moved quietly back, hugging Talcott close and putting a finger to her lips, telling him to make no noise. Who was crashing around the house like an angry garula?

“Guys, where are you!” yelled a deep and familiar voice.

Iris quickly jumped up and shoved the doors aside.

“Gladdy! I knew it was you!” Iris shouted in response, pulling Talcott behind her.

“Iris, where are you?”

“We’re upstairs, Gladdy! We’ll come do--”

“ _ No! _ ” Gladio’s voice said quickly. “I’ll come up, stay where you are.”

~*~*~Gladio~*~*~

He made his way up the stairs, wiping what was on his hands over his pants to dry them. Gladio didn’t want the kids to become startled by the violence on the street. Three doorways made up the second floor. Choosing one he found a king-size mattress and no kids, same with the bathroom which was held behind the second door. The pink room was the final and held both children, Iris bursting from the closet and hugging him tightly.

“Gladdy! I’m so glad you’re safe! Jared said we’d meet you somewhere, but he never said where. He only told me that if anything should happen to him to take his map of the Channels,” Iris spouted quickly, tears running down her face in relief.

“Where’s Grandpa?” Talcott asked in a confused voice, still sitting on the floor in the closet.

“We have to go without him, bud,” Gladio said, untangling himself from his sister who let out a strangled gasp.

“No, we can’t leave him. We need to go together or we’ll get lost,” the boy responded.

“You don’t have to worry about that, ok bud? I’m gonna bring you to where you guys were going instead. It’s what he wanted.”

“Ok, if that’s what Grandpa wants.”

Gladio grabbed Talcott’s hand, turning to Iris who put on a brave face. He could tell she was heartbroken over what had been said, that she had caught on to the words he had used, and he was proud of her given the circumstances. Hugging her to his side, they made their way out of the house. Gladio made sure to guide them away from the street, closer to the sidewalk and houses to avoid the bodies in the street. He hoped that none of them would see Jared in the middle, surrounded by the dead with blood still leaking from his body where he had begged Gladio to end it. It was an image to haunt his nightmares for years to come, he was sure, but for now, the kids were safe and he was alive. 

Once they were out of the suburbs everything cleared again and not a soul, whether alive or dead, could be seen. Gladio’s stomach growled and he realized he hadn’t eaten since the day before, running on fear and adrenaline until he had fallen asleep, and he realized that he would need to stop to eat soon so he could have the energy to defend the three of them against anybody, or any _ thing _ , without fear. Gladio looked around, spotting a gas station, and headed for the building.

~*~*~Ignis~*~*~

Ignis’ lungs still burned, but he could breathe somewhat easier. He thought he could hear voices, but they were odd, distorted, unrecognizable.

“--gy!”

He tried to take inventory of his body, something other than his breathing. He was uncomfortable and could smell gasoline, the scent making him lightheaded. Arms and legs, while twinging somewhat with pain, were functional.

“Iggy!”

There was that voice again, more in focus now, but he had a difficult time concentrating on who the voice belonged to even though it was familiar to him, almost on the tip of his tongue.

“ _ Ignis! C’mon, wake up! _ ”

Ignis cracked open his eyes, light streaming onto his face and blinding him momentarily. The face looking down on him was frightened, dark hair surrounding it like a shadow against the skin, and a name jumped to the front of his mind.

Gladio.

With every second awake, more details became clear. Where had he come from? How long had Ignis been lying on the pavement? He looked around, spotting Iris and Talcott just behind the young Shield, standing close so as to avoid the dead Glaives around them.

“Ignis, what happened here? Where’s Noct?” Gladio asked, drawing attention back to him.

“With any hope, Noctis is out of the city. We were ambushed by these Glaive who had abandoned their posts just to save themselves,” Ignis rasped out, trying to recall the events through the persisting lightheadedness. “I don’t think they even realized who they were trying to steal from when they tried to take my car.”

“Do you think you can stand?”

“I believe so.”

Ignis slowly made his way onto his feet, swaying slightly from the lightheadedness but otherwise managing to stay upright. Gladio motioned to follow into the ransacked gas station where they were met with the sight of items strewn across the floor. Bottle of soda, half sprayed paths of liquid causing them to have shot across the ground like large bullets, littered the linoleum, as well as crushed bags of chips and dented cans that had been left behind by the looters. Ignis picked up one can of corn, walking over to the register and digging in his pocket for money. He felt bad just taking it without paying, even if the world around them had fallen. As he reached the counter he saw the cashier lying in a pool of her own blood, fear and dried tears on her face. Ignis set the can on the counter, walked outside to strip one of the deserters of their Glaive jacket, and then made his way back inside to cover the woman. Fear truly did bring out the worst in people, but Ignis refused to let it rule him.

Iris and Talcott stood near the few bags of chips that were left on the shelf as Ignis dropped a large bill into an unlocked drawer behind the counter, taking a paper sack to drop food and other items in. Looking on the shelves he was lucky enough to find a duffle bag, grabbing it to stick the food and other necessities in. Waters were the next thing on his mind, throwing some into the bag, then on to the next aisle with more food. Gladio was looking at cans of ravioli, Ignis scrunching his nose at the thought of eating the food from the can, even if it was fully cooked. He had already grabbed several containers of plastic silverware, but he could see the other man just pouring the food into his mouth. In the end, the young Shield grabbed several cans of it and canned spaghetti and meatballs, opening one of the latter and slurping it down in the exact manner Ignis had predicted.

“When’s the last time you ate, Iggy?” Gladio asked, mouth ringed red from the sauce before bringing the can back to his mouth for more.

“Breakfast yesterday, in fact,” responded Ignis, not surprised that he had been correct in his assumption.

“You might wanna eat, then. Gotta keep up your strength,” Gladio said in return once he had swallowed a mouthful of noodles. “It isn’t so bad if you eat it quickly.”

He was right, Ignis realized. Even though he was loathe to eat from the can, beggars couldn’t be choosers in the situation they were thrust into. Ignis set down the bag and took a mini ravioli can from the shelf, popping it open with the tab on the lid and quickly swallowing the contents. It tasted better than he remembered, but still not at all a choice he would have gone with in any other situation. When he finished, Ignis wiped his mouth with a finger and licked off the rest of the sauce.

“Iris, Talcott, you two hungry?” Gladio questioned, looking behind himself at the two in the next row.

“We ate sandwiches with Grandpa earlier,” Talcott replied, looking at a bag of pickle chips in his hands.

“We best be off. While the streets are clear for now, we don’t know how long it will  _ stay _ that way,” warned Ignis, zipping the duffle bag up and slinging it over his shoulder.

~*~*~Prompto~*~*~

Prompto led Noctis away from the ladder. He wished there was something he could say to distract his best friend from the situation at hand, but honestly, Prompto  _ himself _ could barely distract himself through all the anxiety--and, now that they were in the Crestholm Channels, the  _ small underground space _ \--to function. As Crowe, Nyx, and Cor made their way down they regrouped, with Cor pulling out a map of the Channels so that they wouldn’t get lost in the maze.

“We’re going to go right, then down this area here,” Cor began, handing Crowe a small flashlight to shine on the map as he pointed to where they would be heading. “Then we’ll go up this ladder and that’s where everyone should be waiting.”

Folding the map, Cor dismissed it into the armiger and turned on his own flashlight that he had summoned, clipping it to his shirt. Everyone else did the same and Prompto had to nudge Noctis, who then made two flashlights appear for them to attach to their own persons. They quickly made their way through to where Cor had mentioned, with the only problem being that the ladder up had been retracted. Noctis, who had come out of his head, warped up to the ladder and pushed it down so that everyone could make their way up.

“Thanks, bud,” Prompto said as he climbed, waiting for everyone else to make their way up first as he watched their backs.

“Pull the ladder up so that nobody can sneak behind us,” Cor instructed before walking away with the group.

After doing so, Noctis and Prompto walked over concrete and grating to find the group they’d been traveling with now joined by the King and his Shield, Clarus looking as calmly as he could over the group. He couldn’t hide his feelings from Prompto, he knew that look of panic that the man was trying to cover, and he knew who it was for. Each face he saw was obviously not the ones he was looking for, and with each person, his panic became more obvious.

“Noctis, where is Gladiolus?” Clarus asked, walking over to the Prince and checking him over for injury, Regis close behind and doing the same. “Where is my son?”

~*~*~Regis~*~*~

The night was long, dragging endlessly as he had fled the city with his Shield, unable to go back to gather his son and any belongings that were precious. Clarus had insisted that Noctis would be safe, Gladiolus was a capable young man and dedicated to his job. Regis didn’t doubt that fact, but, just as Clarus understood as another father, a parent always worries for their child. Regis paced for hours, unable to sit down. Where was his son? Had he gotten out in time? What if he hadn’t? What if Noctis, his only child, had fallen victim to what plagued Insomnia? All these worries compiled, causing his roiling stomach to clench into knots with worry and fear. Even as Clarus pulled up a chair, told him to sit down before he collapsed from exhaustion, Regis refused. How could he sit when his own son still was in the thrall of danger?

Eventually, he heard the sound of someone warping and the ladder being pushed down. Clarus stood up and stepped in front of him immediately until they saw only familiar faces, Regis honing in on one immediately. His own Shield was already making way toward the Prince, with Regis quickly tailing him. Noctis was still in his pajamas, bruises on his skin, but the blood staining his clothes and dried on his flesh were not his. His son was safe, or at least as safe and sound as what had befallen would allow. He heard Clarus ask about his own son and that’s when Regis realized that Gladiolus was lacking from their group. What had transpired to cause the young Shield to separate from his charge?

How bad was it in the city?

“Noctis, what happened out there?” Regis asked, both hands steady on his son’s shoulders.

“It’s… there’s so much, dad,” Noctis choked out, “Fires, people eating each other, Glaives abandoning each other… and I left Gladio and Ignis alone… Why did I leave them alone?”

Clarus let out a pained sound followed by rapid footsteps as he passed Regis and his son. Quickly, he grabbed the Shield’s arm which caused the man to whip around, unspilt tears filling his eyes.

“I have to save him, Regis,” Clarus said in a wavering voice.

“I know, but you have to stay here,” he reminded, he couldn’t fault his friend for wanting to storm the fallen city; if the reverse to have happened it would play the same way with Regis in his Shield’s shoes instead.

“He’s my son,” the Shield said, voice breaking and tears falling down his cheeks, “My  _ son _ .”

“I’ll bring him back, your place is here,” Cor said with a note of finality as he stepped forward.

~*~*~Iris~*~*~

Once Ignis and Gladio had finished what they were doing the four of them set out again with minimal difficulty. The city was like a ghost town, so different from the previous night of screams and terror and fear. Most of the fires had died out, the buildings that were badly damaged beginning to crumble under the weight of their charred remains. Cars had already been pushed aside enough to make traveling simple, even though her brother and Ignis had placed Talcott and herself in between them so both their front and backs could be watched with as much safety as possible. Iris looked at her phone, a poor 8% power left on it being the first thing she saw on the screen, and noticed that it was late into the evening, 6:17pm to be exact. Her feet were sore from walking all day, and beside her, Talcott yawned widely and rubbed at his eyes as his belly let out a loud grumbling noise.

They made it to the gates just as the sun was starting to set, the city slowly growing louder and louder with noises that sent shivers down Iris’ spine. Why were the dead people just coming out now when they had been absent all day? It made no sense at all. Talcott and Iris sat down in the street as Ignis walked past the two of them to meet her brother up at the gate, discussing how they would go forward as the noises grew louder. It started as moaning, the noise floating through the city eerily like it was carried on the wind, but it gradually grew louder as it was joined by groans and growls echoing through the walls of the buildings. She looked back to where they had come from, the sounds around them making her feel like at any moment something might jump out and get them.

When Iris turned around she noticed that Talcott had disappeared, vanished into thin air. Without thinking she stood up and looked around frantically, seeing the leg of his cactuar pajamas turn a corner at the last minute. Following, she found Talcott squatting in front of a cat halfway down an alley just petting it.

“Why did you run off? What would you have done if we left you behind?” she asked suddenly, frightening the cat off.

The boy spun around quickly, eyes wide at Iris’ sudden appearance.

“Come on, Talcott. I’m pretty sure Gladdy and Ignis are ready to go, too.”

As he stood up Talcott’s eyes widened, causing Iris to look behind her and find that their exit had become blocked by three zombies, parts of their bodies either eaten away to reveal bone and spilling organs or with limbs missing from their body where people failed to fight them off. Iris heard Talcott’s whimpers behind her and she instinctively stood in front of him as the three dead people turned in their direction and began to stumble clumsily toward the noise. The moans from the zombies in front of her bounced off the walls and Iris looked desperately for an exit. To her horror, she not only found no exits, but more of the dead were closing in from behind as well. She knew there would be no way to fight them off, seeing as she didn’t have any weapons or training like her brother and father had, and Talcott’s whimpers were steadily growing louder, causing the dead around them to twitch angrily and growl.

“Iris--” the boy behind her started.

That one simple word triggered the zombies both in front and behind to start lumbering quickly toward them. Iris pushed Talcott against the wall, shielding him with her body as they undead closed in. There was nothing she could do, no way she could defend the two of them as danger closed in, so Iris did the only thing that came to mind that was within her power to do.

_ “GLADDY HELP!” _


End file.
